From warmth to frigid – this race certainly is going to extremes.  The racers had to complete one more task to wrap up their stay in Brazil.  The racers had to leave the pit stop and head out to this place that had them take a 300ft zipline across a valley.  Everyone managed to find the place without any problems, but Mr. Intensity, Lake, of course, instead of listening to his wife’s direction turns the wrong way and gets them lost.  And top it all off he tells his wife to shut up not once but twice! And then tells her not to act like a bitch.  Lake, true to his nature, did not even acknowledge his mistake in driving the wrong way.  Shades of Jonathan & Victoria.  I hope I don’t have to listen to him degenerate into outright verbal abuse.  At this time my most fondest wish is for them to get eliminated SOON!

 
Everyone made it through the zipline without mishap.  Even Danielle, who has issues with heights, got along fine.  At the completion of the zipline they got another clue and its destination was Russia.  They all made it to the airport and ended up all taking the same flight to Russia.

 
Upon arriving in Russia they had to go to this outdoor heated pool to perform this roadblock.  The clue before opening the roadblock mentioned someone wanting to take the plunge so instead of taking a hint from the wording of the clue and trying to figure out the best person to perform the roadblock, team members ponied up and volunteered.  This proved to be problematic to Yolanda, who professed she sank in water and mom and daughter team, Wanda & Desiree, of which Wanda confessed to not being able to dive.  After a few fitful starts and other teams telling her to hurry because they couldn’t dive until she dove, Yolanda finally took the plunge.  They showed Ray watching her descend into the pool and looking concerned until she surfaced.  Whereas Wanda jumped into the pool but was unable to dive to retrieve the clue that was affixed to the bottom of the pool.  After many attempts, some slight hysterics and with the locals cheering her on Wanda finally was able to get deep enough in the pool to grab it. 

 
Jeremy and Eric, demonstrating their increasing closeness with Dani and Danielle, waited for them after completing their diving roadblock.  They all piled into the same van to take them to the next location, a monastery.  As they were driving they started taking inventory and realized the girls did not have their clue and the fanny pack.  The girls immediately stopped the van, got out and found another cab to take them back to the pool, dismissing their cab upon getting there.  They ran into Wanda & Desiree exiting the swimming venue on their way to the monastery.  The teaming up with the boys during this leg and at the pit stop I believe is taking them out of their game.  They made two major mistakes and started sniping at each other.  Forgetting the fanny pack was one major mistake and then dismissing the cab when they got back to the pool was the other.  And when they were trying to get a cab and not having much luck, desperation started setting which shortened their tempers.  If they are going to hook up with the boys – they are going to need to keep their eyes on the prize not some bulging biceps. 

 
From the monastery the teams had a detour which consisted of scouring the inside and outside of a trolley or plow through 1500 Russian nesting dolls looking for the clue to the next location.  Some of the teams decided to scrub the trolleys but their drivers where unable to find the trolley yard so BJ & Tyler, Eric & Jeremy and Fran & Barry, Lake & Michelle had to change course and join Ray & Yolanda at the theater disassembling nesting dolls looking for a clue.   Eric & Jeremy were the first to find one, then Lake & Michelle found the next one and they were on their way to Red Square. 

 
While Dave & Lori, and Monica & Joseph, sharing the same taxi van got lost in the city trying to find the trolley depot, Wanda & Desiree were able to find the depot & started washing a trolley and they were joined shortly by Dani & Danielle.  Dave & Lori and Monica & Joseph’s driver finally found the place and they got to cleaning too. 

 
After completing the roadblock the teams were directed to Red Square where unbeknownst to them and me they met Phil only to be informed that this leg is not over and we will see the completion of it next week.  DRAT!

 
I realize this race has already been run and nothing I say will affect the outcome of this race.  These weekly installments give me the illusion of having an effect on the race.  So I will continue to critique and offer my insight, like these teams need to read every word in the clues.  The wording in the clues allude to what is coming next and they can pick the best person suited to accomplish the task if they just look at the words in the clues.  Come on teams – be astute and think!

 
So that being said:  just some quick comments:  Lake – awful, awful man.  I want them to be eliminated soon.    Dani & Danielle, (who my 13yr old calls “hot”), need to quit trying to think they can flirt and have fun – this leg proved they need to concentrate on the race not the boys.  Ray and Yolanda – capable of going all the way – but slow down & scrutinize the clue and then make your choices.  Fran and Barry did better, but then there was really no taxing physical task set up.  Lori and Dave, the nerds, still like them.  They do what needs to be done and go onto the next task.  Mo Jo – was quiet this episode other than Mo uttering an inane and idiotic – “ I don’t know much about Russian men other than they smoke and drink a lot”.  Mom & daughter – mom get a grip.  Calm down and you will be able to get it done.  Eric & Jeremy – climbing to the top of my hit parade.  I like their attitude, doesn’t hurt they are good to look at.  As for BJ & Tyler – still freewheeling and one of the leaders.   

 
 

All right, they’re still in Brazil and the race is going strong. We had an elimination last night but we’ll get to that later. The teams are off and running and getting into some problems. Besides the language difficulty, believe it or not, there are countries out there that really don’t feel it’s necessary that all their citizens learn English. Geesh! Which makes navigating through these cities a bit daunting in some cases for the teams, and provides some frustrating moments for those teams who try to ask the local citizens for information. But they eventually get the info they need and push on.

The first task had them climb a fire escape to the top of a building and then they had to rappel down 400ft. I was impressed by Danielle. Apparently she has this intense fear of heights. She was crying and carrying on and Fran literally gave her a shoulder to cry on and some encouraging words. But she did rappel down that building and felt empowered to tackle the rest of day’s tasks. Both girls did admit that maybe their strategy of relying on their feminine attributes might be a bit misguided. Though it did not stop them from flirting with the frat boys. Maybe it’s their way of banking some of their feminine charms to use later in the race? Hmmm, we’ll see. It also indicates to me they’re not far from reality and have a good grasp on the competitor’s mindset. So I won’t be underestimating them.

The hippie boys and the frat boys sailed through the detours and roadblocks and they made it to the pit stop teams 1 and 2. Mo Jo, Monica & Joseph, also had what appeared to be a fairly uneventful day and they ended the day in 3^rd place.

Lori and Dave, the nerds, came in 4^th this leg. They opted to do the sugar cane pressing to distill some fuel for their cars instead of doing what the majority did, scaling a waterfall for this detour. I like the fact they did not even try to pretend they can compete with the fitter teams. They go with their strengths, which made them the 4^th team to check-in at the pit stop. As they did the press, Dave commented he did a similar project in school. Mom and daughter, Wanda and Desiree, also opted to do the cane pressing. They were successful and went from there to the pit stop for a 6^th place finish.

Ray and Yolanda, I like them, but they need to step it up. They are able to perform the roadblocks and detours with little problem but they are getting separated from the leaders and finishing farther down than they should be. They finished 5^th on this leg. In order for them to make it to the final 3 they are going to have to really buckle down and stay with the leaders.

Mr. High Intensity, Lake and Michelle, didn’t appear to have any problems this leg too. They did manage to get a local to show them where the pit stop was after scaling the waterfall. But unfortunately for them their guide stopped for gas and allowed Dani and Danielle to get in front on the race to the pit stop. But Lake and Michelle beat them to Phil for a 7^th place finish and the girls came in 8^th.

Fran and Barry are really giving a great effort and might have still finished 9^th even if their car didn’t break down. Fran had problems trying to climb the waterfall. She was really struggling to get some forward motion but she managed to figure it out and get to the top of the cliff. Barry had problems but he too made it to the top. I think they should have tried the sugar cane pressing, it would have been less physical and for the length of time it took them to climb the waterfall they might have been able to finish the distilling. Their car did break down on the way to the pit stop and a replacement vehicle was brought. I really don’t think it affected their place in finishing. But it’s their race to win or lose and it will be interesting to see what decisions they make in trying to stay with the rest of the teams.

Now for the Glamizons, the sisters from Texas, Lisa and Joni. Yes, they were eliminated. Lisa, upon elimination, melted into a puddle of tears. She apparently is the one that pushed to go on this race but it turns out she is not strong enough to deal with frustrating situations. She was having problems driving the manual VW and kept stalling. Every time the car stalled she appeared to get more and more upset. Ranting about how hard it was to drive, she needs help from her sister to navigate, she’s doing all the work, etc. Needless to say that did not help them get anywhere. It appears they did the first two tasks uneventfully, but it was probably their placement in the pack that got Lisa on edge and attributed to her meltdown.

So they are out and if Fran and Barry don’t step up and race their race, which I mean, do tasks they are more suited to, they’ll be out too. They shouldn’t try to compete with the younger teams in the physical and strength tasks. They can still win maybe not as easily as the others, but if they play to their strengths and keep a steady course, I think they can last awhile.

As for whom I’m pulling for, still don’t have a clue. I can only tell you who I am not voting for, Lake and Michelle, Wanda and Desiree, Monica and Joseph. More may enter into that list or some can be removed from the list. But based on what I’ve seen so far these are the teams I’m not too thrilled about. Until next week.

“Aaaaah‚Ķ.” is that satisfying feeling you get after your first sip of coffee in the morning.

“Aaaah ‚Äì it‚Äôs back” is way I‚Äôm feeling this morning before caffeine. The first segment of this edition of the Amazing Race is history and the race is on.

I don’t have any clear-cut favorites but I did manage to loosely group good teams and bad teams. Not real fond of the dentist and his wife, Lake & Michelle. He has that attitude that I really dislike, arrogant and superior. The older couple, Fran and Barry, not real fond of them either. I think it might be the chip on their shoulder regarding their age versus their perceived threat by the other younger teams. Yes, they will have to try harder, think faster and be clever. They just need to relax and play their game – slow and steady, less chance of mistakes.

Look how long that older couple, Meredith and Gretchen, lasted in 7^th Amazing Race. Another one I’m not high on is Joseph and Monica, Mo Jo, who some of the other teams called Ken & Barbie. He seems nice but she is high maintenance, don’t like high maintenance women, gives us low key women a bad name. So just because of her – not thrilled with them. Mom and daughter – they are what I would call on the bubble. Mom is kinda pushy but the daughter seems down to earth and looking to keep mom reined in when getting out of control. Another team on the bubble is Glamizons, the Texas sisters, Lisa & Joni. Too much screaming – tone it down! The rest are OK – I can see myself voting for them.

The hippies, BJ and Tyler, I think are trying too hard to be free spirited and wacky – but I think as the race wears on, they will wear down and the real them will surface. The frat boys, Eric and Jeremy, are too cute but they seem eager and sincere and want to have fun and that is what is keeping them on my good side. I really like Ray and Yolanda. I like the way they’re not getting too caught up in the chase. They are staying on their designated tasks and moving from one to another without a lot of fanfare. The nerds, David & Lori, I like them. I think they will be fun to watch. They have no preconceived ideas of how they will perform. They know their strengths and weaknesses and keep moving forward. And last but not least, Danielle and Dani, I like them, I don’t know for how long, but for now, I like them. I like how they are playing very heads up and willing to move on to another task if one is not coming together for them.

The tasks on this segment were OK, but I think the motorcycle assembling was probably too hard. It called for a very specific set of skills – of which it appears that many teams didn’t possess. Whereas the helicopter search was not even remotely hard, or so it seemed to me. The obstacle that required finding that religious sect and lighting a candle was weak. Maybe the big challenge of this segment was navigating through traffic and everything else paled. But I realize it is the first show so I need to give it time to evolve.

As for the team that got eliminated, John and Eric, I had high hopes for them as entertainment value but as the show got underway the incessant whining from John was tiring. Just shut up already. But John and Scott didn’t play smart and really had no apparent plan of action. It seemed as if they just kinda drifted along not to mention the disastrous abandonment of the cab to hoof it to the bridge to get the clue. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

So the first casualty of the show has occurred and the action is just getting started. I’m settling in to enjoy the chase and adventure. It surpasses the family version of the race and to tell you the truth – watching paint dry would have been more interesting than the family version. But this so far is on the same level as the previous versions and am getting anxious to watch the next segments. As for my son – my watching partner – he is finding more interest playing his online games while watching over my shoulder periodically. But I anticipate the lure of the chase to be more potent than the internet or he gets restricted from its use, whatever comes first.

The end of February can’t come fast enough, at least for this self proclaimed Amazing Race –aholic. The last version of the show was such a clunker that it feels as if it never happened. Or maybe better yet – should not have happened. What were they thinking?! Taking a successful premise and then watering it down to accommodate the changed dynamics of the competitors, a family edition!

I think it still could have been successful with a family edition if they had put a minimum age limit on the kids, which would have allowed for more demanding tasks and locales. Or second thought, not make it a family edition and just make it 4 person teams. Think of all the temper tantrums, raging egos and hissy fits we could have witnessed between 4 people linked together in a high stress environment? And we thought Jonathan and Victoria, from Amazing Race 6, were awful, that has a potential of an all out war.

The new teams for the 9^th race can be viewed on the CBS.com website, (http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race9/), they seem to be a capable bunch. Though I must admit, I tend to favor the good-looking male duos and the quirky, “have fun” duos. I am turned off by the intense, driven, “win at all costs” couples. I think having fun and common courtesy are key elements to surviving the race. Actions and attitudes do come back to haunt.

CBS has been touting the start of the new race as being more exciting, with new destinations than previous races. I, for one, am looking forward to this version if not for seeing a new season but also to take the bad taste of the last race out of my mouth and mind. Hopefully this franchise will continue for another 5-6 more years. I have a 13 year-old son and we faithfully watch and comment on which tasks each of us would do and which of the roadblocks we would pick. And we would like to compete when he comes of age, by then he should be old enough to get over the teenage disdain of being seen with one’s own mother.

TimesDispatch.com

Woodbridge family goes out in first leg of reality-TV contest
A Woodbridge family competing in “The Amazing Race: Family Edition” on CBS was eliminated in last night’s episode, the first leg of the race.

Reggie and Kimberly Black and sons Kenneth, 11, and Austin, 8, raced nine other teams of four related persons on the international scavenger hunt, competing for a $1 million prize. The reality TV show was filmed during the summer.

Reggie Black, 42, taught math at C.D. Hylton High School in Prince William County from 2000 to 2004. Kimberly Black, 40, is a fifth-grade teacher in Alexandria. Kenneth is in sixth grade and Austin, the youngest person to ever compete in the race, is in the fourth grade.

Here are some highlights from the race: More… »

CBS News
First ‘Amazing Race’ Castoffs

The Black family is the first team eliminated from “The Amazing Race: Family Edition.”

It was kids vs. adults at the premiere of “The Amazing Race: Family Edition.” The Black and Linz families sprinted to the finish, both knowing that the last team to arrive would be eliminated.

But there were no long faces for the Blacks, who live in Woodbridge, Va., when they visited The Early Show to talk about their experience.

Dressed in their tie-dyed shirts and blue jeans, Reggie and Kimberly looked happy as did their children ‚Äî Kenneth, 11, Austin, 8 and little Jordan on mom’s lap.

“We’re blessed we were even chosen to be on the show,” Kimberly Black, 40, said. “It was an honor. Everybody was so nice.” More… »

THE AMAZING RACE: FAMILY EDITION features 10 teams — each comprised of four family members — on a trek around the world for approximately 30 days. At every destination, each team will have to compete in a series of challenges — some mental and some physical — and only when the tasks have been completed will they learn their next destination. Teams who are farthest behind will gradually be eliminated as the contest progresses, with the first team to arrive at the final destination winning $1 million.

The following are the 10 families, listed in no particular order:

TEAM: GODLEWSKI SISTERS
Michelle (42)
Sharon (39)
Christine (37)
Tricia (26)
Hometown: Des Plaines, Ill.

TEAM: WEAVER FAMILY (WIDOW AND KIDS)
Linda (46)
Rebecca (19)
Rachel (16)
Rolly (14) - Male
Hometown: Ormond Beach, Fla. More… »

Blogcritics.org

I came late as a fan to The Amazing Race. I just didn’t understand. I thought - yes, you can laugh at my foolishness now - that it was about teams racing round the world in pursuit of clues and rewards. I’m blushing just typing those words. Silly rabbit! Trix are for kids!

Of course The Amazing Race, or TAR, as I like to call it, is all about the strain and disintegration of relationships. Specifically, the disintegration that happens when there are two of you in a car and in a place you aren’t familiar with, and you’re both tired and ratty, and only one of you has a map. You know what I’m talking about. I can feel the bile rising from here.

So I wasn’t sure how to feel about TAR announcing that Season 8 would be a family edition of the show. While families are the original source of all barely suppressed rage, would they provide as many fireworks as pairs? With three other people to pour the loathing on, instead of just one, would the irritability focus be split? Would their in-car behaviour be less dramatic, thanks to years of practice? Or would they crack under new pressures? More… »

www.thejournalnews.com
By HEATHER SALERNO

Carmel High School senior Brian Paolo has his classmates beat when they start trading summertime stories: He and his family are among the adventurers competing on CBS’s “The Amazing Race” this fall.

The 16-year-old honors student — along with parents Tony and Marion, both 52, and older brother, DJ, 24 — will vie for the $1-million prize in the first all-family edition of the Emmy-winning reality show, premiering Sept. 27 at 9 p.m.

The Paolos are barred from discussing their 30-day journey, which was taped earlier this summer. But neighbor Judy Racic says the fun-loving, outgoing foursome has a tight bond, which may help them fare well in the contest.

“They may bicker back and forth,” she says. “But when it comes time to circle the wagons, they’re there for each other.” More… »